A Whole New World
by EvilBunny91
Summary: Haley Walker finds herself unexpectedly in Middle-Earth and ends up joining Thorin's Company in a quest to reclaim their kingdom from a dragon. Now she has to find all her courage, for her fate has lots of challenges in store for her. On this journey she finds adventure, dangers and fellowships. And will she loose her heart to a certain young archer dwarf? Kili/OC
1. Proloque

**Title: A Very Unexpected Adventure**

**Summary: A young girl finds herself unexpectedly in Middle-Earth and ends up joining Thorin's Company in a quest to reclaim their kingdom from a dragon. Now she has to find all her courage, for her fate has lots of challenges in store for her. On this journey she finds adventure, dangers and fellowships. And will she loose her heart to a certain young archer dwarf?**

**Genre: Adventure/ Romance**

**Rating: T, just to be safe.**

**Characters: Kili, Fili, Thorin, Bilbo, OC**

**Pairings: Kili/OC**

**Warnings: Some major plot line changes from the movie and original book. Some more-or-less illogical elements might be included, so please bear with me!**

**Disclaimer: The Hobbit franchise belongs to J.R. , Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema. OC belongs to me, though.**

**A/N: This fic will mostly follow the plot line from the movie, with some scenes from the book. In order to make this fic work, I have also taken some elements from the **_**Stravaganza**_** book series. And this is my very first _Hobbit_ fanfic, so please be gentle with me.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_Fifteen_. That was the number Gandalf the Grey seemed to face everywhere he went recently. Fifteen birds in a flock, fifteen children in a village, number fifteen in a pair of dices and fifteen bright stars in a sky. No matter where he went, the number was always there.

And Gandalf knew this was no mere coincidence. He knew this was a sign. And he knew it had to do with Thorin Oakenshield's quest to reclaim Erebor. And if he was correct, it had something to do with the number of members of the company.

But this left Gandalf puzzled; who could the fifteenth member be? He knew there would be thirteen dwarves and possibly one hobbit in the company, but who would the fifteenth be?

With this question burning in his mind; Gandalf fell asleep against a tree trunk under a starry sky. And the number fifteen appeared again in his dreams. He saw blurry visions of thirteen dwarves and one hobbit; and then he saw_ her_. A face of a young girl, no older than fifteen summers perhaps. She had fiery-red hair and her eyes were blue like the summer sky. She was standing close to Durin dwarves, as if protecting them.

That's when Gandalf woke up. The old wizard knew it was not just a dream; it was a vision. Somehow, that girl in his vision would have an important role in this quest, and it would have something to do with the three last kin of Durin. But there was also something else about that girl Gandalf could not quite put his finger on. As if she was from somewhere far beyond the borders of Middle-Earth. But that was impossible, unless she was a… but she couldn't…or could she?

Well, whatever her background would be, Gandalf now knew he had to find this girl. He only hoped he could find her in time, for the whole fate of the quest seemed to be linked with her presence.

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><p><strong>AN: It's very short, I know, but it's just the proloque. The actual chapters will be longer. So, any thoughts, yet? Let me know what you think. I might the change the title afterwards though, I'm not sure I like it, but I can't think of any better right now. But in the mean time; R&R!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**A/N: And here's the first chapter! It might be a little bit boring, but this is only a slight introduction about my OC.**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC, everything else belongs to J.R. .**

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><p>Chapter 1: Beginning<p>

"Haley, wake up! It's almost 11 am!"

Haley groaned as she was woken from her sleep by her aunt's voice. Seriously, didn't she know that you were supposed to sleep in during summer holiday? But, her aunt happened to be one of those people who woke up at 8 am every single morning.

Deciding it would be best to just get over with it, Haley got up and got dressed. She put on her typical get-up; t-shirt, jeans and elbow-length fingerless gloves. After brushing her hair, her attention turned to a necklace on her table. It was a rather old silver pendant she had found few weeks ago at her grandma's attic. It had some strange marking on it which she couldn't read, and a clear crystal in the middle. For some reason Haley had felt drawn to it, even though she didn't really care for jewelry. When she had asked her grandma about it, she couldn't really tell where the pendant had come from, only that it had been in the family for many generations. She had even allowed Haley to keep the pendant.

But that seemed like a distant memory now. Haley sighed deeply before wrapping the pendant around her neck. She grabbed her iPod before walking downstairs. Her aunt and uncle were already finishing breakfast when she came to kitchen.

"Morning aunt Rose, uncle Jack." she greeted them.

"Morning sweetie. Have some plans for today?" her uncle Jack asked her as she sat down to eat her breakfast.

"Just gonna cycling around the grounds." she answered before biting her toast.

"Just be back by dinner time. And try to be careful, we don't want any trips to the health center, okay honey? " her aunt told her.

"Yeah, sure." Haley muttered, blushing a little bit. Sure, she was a bit of clumsy, but others made her sound rather prone to accidents. She wasn't that bad, really. Haley finished her breakfast, deciding she wasn't that hungry. She took her bike keys, and after saying goodbye, went outside.

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><p>Turning on her iPod, Haley rode her bike along the streets, looking a bit melancholy. She had been living in this small town for couple of months, and she still didn't feel quite settled in. She didn't hate the place, but for some reason she just didn't feel like she belonged there. She had been living with her grandma for six years, after her parents had died in a car crash. But soon after her fifteenth birthday, her grandma's health suddenly took a turn to the worse, and she had to the placed in an elderly care home. That's why she had to move in with her mother's brother and his wife.<p>

And while she was very fond of her uncle and aunt, she still couldn't shake off that feeling like she belonged somewhere else. And the town where they lived was so small and boring, nothing exciting ever happened there. While most teenagers look forward towards summer holidays, Haley wasn't expecting for any grand adventures in this small town.

She soon left the town behind her, and entered a terrain. Probably the best thing that the town had was forest grounds meant for jogging and cycling. Haley had always loved nature and spending time in woods. She cycled for some time until she reached her favorite spot. It was quiet spot far from everyone. Others avoided that place because it was right next to the cliffs. The cliffs were rather high, and a few joggers had lost their lives when they fell down on them. But despite the warnings, Haley enjoyed that place because it provided her some alone time. And it was so calm and serene in there.

Haley reached her spot in few minutes. She left her bike leaning against a tree and sat down on the ground, and leaned herself against a tree trunk. She sighed in satisfaction, this was how she liked to be; alone in nature, listening to music. But she had to admit, a true friend would be very welcome too.

As she gazed upon the landscape, something suddenly caught her eye. It looked like a big bird, like an eagle.

"But, there aren't any eagles in here…" Haley though aloud, and rose up to take a closer look. Whatever it was, it was on the other side, separated by a cliff.

Forgetting all the safety instructions, Haley stood on the edge of cliff, trying to see closer. Had she been more alert, she might have noticed that ground beneath her feet wouldn't be able to support weight for long.

Before Haley could as much think, the ground beneath her feet gave up, and she lost her balance. Emitting a terrified scream, Haley began to roll violently down the cliff. Her body hit several rocks and branches, causing her serious pain. Before she reached the root of the cliff, she hit the back of her head against a rock hard.

Finally coming to a stop, Haley's breathing was getting less and less frequent. Her vision was getting blurrier and her body felt numb. She felt like her soul was about to leave her body and she would float into the air. That was until she went completely numb and everything turned black.

Time seemed to have stopped around Haley's unconscious body. Suddenly, the crystal on her pendant started to shine like a star…

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><p><strong>AN: How cruel of me to leave a cliffhanger. But don't worry, I'll try to update as soon as I can. But please, R&R!**


	3. Chapter 2: Bag Ends

**A/N: Special thanks to _MidnightTales357_ for the being the first one to review! I'm hoping to get more reviews, so I'll update the next chapter once I get at least five more reviews. And please try to construtive feedback, I'd like to know how you feel and think about the story, what you like or dislike about it etc. Constructive feedback helps me to be better writer, and that helps me to write better stories. Hopefully I didn't sound too needy, but I just really like good feedback. But in the mean time, enjoy the second chapter!**

**"..." means normal dialogue**

**_'...'_ means thoughts**

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><p>Chapter 2: Bag Ends<p>

Slowly, but surely, Haley started to regain consciousness. She could feel pain washing over her body like waves, her head hurting the worst. She tried to move her hand to her head, wincing as moving so suddenly brought more pain.

As her senses started to come back, Haley could feel she was lying on grass. She could also hear birds chirping around her. She tried to open her eyes, but the bright light only made her shut them harder.

'_Am…am I still alive? And am I still at the cliff?_' she thought to herself.

That's when Haley heard footsteps, and they seemed to get closer to her all the time. '_C'mon, call for help! Call, you idiot!_' she tried to lift her arm to wave, but it was still too numb to move.

Even though she couldn't see, she could at least hear the footsteps were getting closer. Soon enough they stopped, and Haley could feel someone standing next to her.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?" voice asked her. It sounded like the person was an old man.

"I…I…" Haley tried to answer, but her throat was too dry to talk properly.

"You look quite hurt. Allow me to help you." the old man said and Haley heard him crouch next to her.

She felt him place his hand on her forehand gently. Then she heard him mummer something she couldn't make out. Suddenly, a strange warming feeling flashed across her body, and the pain started to fade. Haley moaned a little bit as she attempted to stretch herself. The numbness started to faint, and she was finally able to move her body.

"Feeling better?" the old man asked her as he helped her to stand up.

"Y-yes, thank you very much." even though Haley didn't know what the stranger had actually done to her; she felt better now, so she let it pass.

Her eyes seemed to have adjusted to the light already, and she finally opened them. Now she was finally able to see the kind stranger who had made her pain vanish. And she was correct; he was indeed an old man. He was tall, and he was wearing grey robes and a grey pointy hat on his head. He had a long grey beard and a long wooden staff in his hand. This attire was really strange in Haley's opinion, but the again; her own fashion sense wasn't sensational either. Or maybe he was just going to a LARP meeting.

"You're welcome, my dear. Now, may I ask your name?" he asked her gently.

"I'm Haley. Haley Walker." she answered him. Haley knew she wasn't supposed to give her name to strangers, but she though it was necessary in case they needed to call an ambulance.

"My name is Gandalf the Grey, but may call me just Gandalf. Now, what exactly happened to you, and how did you find yourself in Shire? Humans don't usually wander into this parts." he asked her.

'_Wait, what?! Shire? Where the heck was that? And what kind of a name is Gandalf, anyway?'_ "I don't know about this Shire-place, but I live at Forks at my uncle and aunt's place, and I fell off a cliff…"

That when Haley actually took a look at her surroundings. Her eyes widened at what she saw. It was green everywhere. Green grass and hills as far as you could see. There was no way this was her home town.

"This definitely isn't Forks." she muttered dumbfoundedly.

Gandalf gave her a worried look. "I don't think I have heard of this "Forks". Where exactly is it located?" he asked her.

Haley was getting more and more confused. Maybe this old man had never been good at geography. "It's a small town in Washington." she tried, hoping that the old man would finally catch on.

But he just looked even more confused than earlier. "I have been in Middle-Earth for many centuries, but I have never heard of such names."

'_Okayyy, this is just weird.'_ "Okay, really funny", she snorted at him, "but seriously…"

"I assure you", he cut her off, "that I'm quite serious." he said pointedly.

Haley stared at him. _'Was he serious?!' _"How is that even possible?" she was getting a little bit frustrated now.

"Well," Gandalf shrugged his shoulders, "I am a wizard." he said like it was natural thing.

Haley stared at him with wide eyes and mouth open like a fish. "A-a wizard…that explains everything", she laughed nervously, "I'm still unconscious, and this just a dream. Or maybe I'm just loosing it. I mean, c'mon; there's no wizards on Earth! " she exclaimed with a clear distress in her voice.

'_Earth? Did she say "Earth"? Could she be…'_ a thought hit Gandalf like a lighting. Now he realized why she had looked so familiar; she was the girl in his vision! And he should have realized earlier that she was not from Middle-Earth; her clothes alone could tell you that. He thanked the Valar that he had found her; now he just had to get her to trust him. She was obviously very shaken by her new situation.

He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention to him. "Haley, you are not dreaming or mad, if that's what you're referring to", he said in a calm and soothing tone, "I know you must be very confused right now, but I assure you; everything will be explained later. Trust me, I can help you find your way."

Haley looked into Gandalf's eyes. She didn't see any lies or evil intentions in them. Something in her gut told her to trust him. Maybe he could actually help her. Not like she had any better options.

"Okay", she gave a deep sigh, "I trust you, for now." she told him.

"Excellent.", Gandalf said with a satisfied smile, "Now; I was on my way to visit a child of old friend of mine. I think it is the best that we go to see him in order to get this puzzle started." he explained to Haley and started to make his way towards a road that lying nearby.

Haley didn't know exactly what he meant by that, but she decided to drop it for now. Besides, maybe this friend of Gandalf's could offer more sane ideas.

'_Well, here goes nothing.'_ she though as she started to follow Gandalf towards the destination that would hopefully help her to get back home.

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><p>They had travelled for almost an hour until Gandalf proclaimed that they were almost at their destination.<p>

"So…what did you say this place was again?" Haley asked as she looked around the landscape.

"This is the land of Shire; the homeland of Hobbits. And this peculiar village is called Hobbiton." Gandalf answered.

'_More weirdness.'_ "Hobbits? What's a hobbit?" Haley had never heard of such people before.

Gandalf chuckled a little bit. "I'm not surprised that you don't know about them; not all of the race of Men are aware of their existence", he explained, "Hobbits are a simple and peaceful race. They are rather short people, hence they are sometimes mistaken for children. They also have hairy feet and they don't wear any shoes. They prefer a simple life with all the comforts of a home, and that is why they don't like to socialize with other races of Middle-Earth."

Haley felt so dumbstruck by this information that she stopped in her tracks. "You're kidding, right?"

Gandalf merely laughed as he turned towards her and stopped too. "Well, you just have to see for yourself." he said before continuing his way.

It took a few seconds until Haley realized to keep on walking. _'This is just too weird. Next thing I know; he's probably gonna suggest having tea with pixies and gnomes.'_ she though as she followed after Gandalf.

Soon enough, they reached the village Gandalf had called Hobbiton. Haley was absolutely astonished when she saw it. It reminded her of medieval farming village from fairytale books. All the houses were built inside hills and they all had round door. There were fields around the village and lots of flowers everywhere. Haley had to stop and look around every once in a while; it was so beautiful.

And soon Haley caught a glimpse of these so-called hobbits. And to her amazement; Gandalf had been right. They were indeed rather short people with hairy legs. They had curly hair and were dressed in brightly colored farmer clothes.

Haley noticed that some of hobbits were giving her questionable looks. She couldn't help but feel a bit unwelcome under their gaze, so she decided to keep on going. Not to mention, to Haley's horror, she realized she had lost Gandalf! He must have kept on walking, not noticing that she had been left behind.

Since Haley didn't know her way in the village, she decided to take a chance and ran forward along the main road. After about ten minutes of running, she noticed Gandalf's figure in the distance. As she gained on him, she noticed he was talking to someone behind a wooden hedge.

Gandalf turned towards her as Haley finally reached him. "Ah, Haley, there you are. I was starting to get worried that you had lost your way." he said with smile. Before Haley could make any smart remarks, Gandalf turned back towards the person he had been talking to earlier.

"Bilbo, allow me to introduce you to Haley Walker", he said before turning back to Haley, "Haley, this is Bilbo Baggins; son of Belladonna Took; and old friend of mine." he introduced them.

Haley took a look at Bilbo. He was a hobbit, like naturally everyone else in this village. He had sand-like brunette hair and wore the same styled clothes like the rest of the hobbits Haley had seen. He had a long pipe in his other hand, and some letters in the other. He was looking at her rather surprised, like he hadn't been expecting seeing a human girl on his doorsteps.

"Umm, hello." Haley greeted a bit meekly, not really knowing how to be in such situation.

"Greetings, miss Walker", Bilbo greeted, finally remembering his manners, "How do you do."

"Miss Walker here has lost her way from home, and it would be most kind of you to let her stay with you, for the time being." Gandalf explained to Bilbo.

"Well", Bilbo said rather dumbfoundedly, "I suppose I can't leave a young lady in distress, but I still don't…"

"That's decided. It will be very good for you both", Gandalf cut him off, "And most amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

Bilbo became very dumbstruck at this. "What, no. No, wait", he repeated rather irritated, "We do not want any adventures here, thank you! Not today, no…I suggest you try over the hill or across the water. Good morning" he said before he went inside the house.

Haley found herself feeling rather dumbstruck once again. _'Now he's ditching me to some short guy?!'_ "Wait, you're leaving? What about me? And what others?" she demanded him.

"All in good time, dear Haley", Gandalf told her, "I shall be back later. In the mean time, you can keep mister Baggins some company. And fear not, you'll have answers soon."

Haley sighed deeply in defeat before making her way towards Bilbo's house. "Mister Baggins?", she knocked on the door, "May I come in?"

The door opened and Bilbo's head popped in. "Oh yes, where are my manners", he said, "Do come in, miss Walker, quickly!"

Haley stepped into the house, and saw Bilbo standing on his guard at the window. She guessed he was trying to see if Gandalf had left without him noticing. Haley could hear a strange scratching sound outside Bilbo's door, but it was gone soon. When she tried to look out of the window, Gandalf was already gone.

"Sooo…" she said a bit awkwardly as turned towards Bilbo.

"Oh yes; welcome to Bag Ends, miss Walker. I'll make some tea, and then we'll sort this situation out." he said before he went to find a kettle.

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><p>As the hours passed, Haley found herself liking this Bilbo fellow. He seemed like a decent, polite guy. He gave her a tour around his house, and was very proud to tell her about the history of Bag Ends and his family. He also told her about hobbits and their ways. Haley was truly fascinated by all of it.<p>

But she was getting a bit tired, so Bilbo suggested she'd get some sleep while he went to the marketplace to buy some supper. Haley agreed, deciding she really needed some sleep.

As Haley lied on a bed in Bilbo's guest room, she let her mind wonder. This place was wonderful, but also so strange to her. The more she thought about it, the more clearly she could tell that this place wasn't her world, maybe not even her own planet. Gandalf had even called this place Middle-Earth, so based on that, this was not Earth at all. But how had she ended up in here? Did it have something to do with her fall? With all these question in mind; Haley eventually fell asleep.

Haley had woken up some time later, and Bilbo had already come back. She helped him prepare supper, and she found she was rather hungry too.

It was already evening when they had set the table, and prepared to eat. Bilbo was just about to take his first bite of fish, when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Little did they know, but their lives were about to change for good.

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><p><strong>AN: Another cliffhanger! And as I said before: at least five reviews, and then I'll update. Until then; R&R!**


	4. Chapter 3: An Unexpected Party

**A/N: Wow, I'm amazed! I really didn't expect to get those five reviews so fast! Thank you you all for your reviews! And since promise is a promise, here's the third chapter! I feel like I'm on fire, I was so inspired to write it. The next chapter might take some time, since it's going to be a bit more challenging to write. But in the mean time, enjoy the third chapter!**

**_Grace(guest)_: Thanks for your review! It really means alot to me if people like my writing style. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit, but my OC Haley belongs to me.**

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><p>Chapter 3: An Unexpected Party<p>

'_Maybe it's Gandalf. He promised he'd come back later.' _Haley thought hopefully.

Bilbo, however, was feeling rather irritated. He never liked to be interrupted during supper. But he still went to open the door, because it was good manners. Haley came behind him, expecting to see Gandalf behind the door.

But it was not Gandalf. It was a rather tall, fierce-looking dwarf. Though Haley didn't know this, and she thought he was just rather short man. Both Haley and Bilbo were very surprised to see him.

The dwarf bowed in front of them. "Dwalin, at your service." he introduced himself.

"Bilbo …Baggins, at yours", Bilbo managed to stammer, "Do we know each other?" he asked the dwarf, confused at why there was a dwarf on his doorsteps.

"No", Dwalin answered rather rudely as he stepped inside the house, "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?" he asked as he removed his cape.

"Is it…what down there?" Bilbo stammered.

"Supper", Dwalin answered as he shoved his cape to Bilbo, "He said there'd be food. And lots of it."

"He said…who said?" Bilbo didn't understand what was going on.

In order to be a good host, Bilbo gave his supper to the dwarf. He and Haley sat in the corner staring at him. Dwalin sat on his seat and gobbled down his supper. He finished it in few minutes and even ate the head of the fish afterwards.

"Very good this", Dwalin nodded in approval, "Any more?"

Bilbo managed to find some bread to and offered them to Dwalin. "Help yourself."

Dwalin didn't have to be told twice, he practically shoved bread into his mouth. Bilbo himself was starting to feel uncomfortable with the unknown dwarf.

"It's just that…I wasn't expecting company." Bilbo told him, obviously trying to give hint.

But that's when the doorbell rang for the second time, causing Bilbo to look at the door in surprise.

"That'd be the door." Dwalin said gruffly.

As Bilbo went to answer the door, Haley kept staring at Dwalin. There was something strange about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Dwalin noticed her staring at him, and grew rather irritated by it.

"What", he slightly snapped at her, "Never seen a dwarf before?" he asked her gruffly.

Haley stared at him with wide eyes. "W-wait, you're a… dwarf?!" she exclaimed in wonder.

Dwalin gave her an irritated look and rolled his eyes before turning his attention to a cookie jar on Bilbo's fire place. Haley herself felt like she had just been slapped. She hadn't been expecting a dwarf out of all creatures. And she had thought dwarves were more like in Disney's Snow White with colorful hats and jolly smiles. _'First wizards, then hobbits, and now dwarves! What's with this place?!'_

Then; another man, or actually a dwarf, appeared in the room. He was an old dwarf with white hair and beard, and he wore red robes. He exclaimed happily when he noticed Dwalin, who now had his hand in a cookie jar.

"Evening brother." he greeted Dwalin with a sly smile.

"By my beard", Dwalin chuckled and shared his smile, "You're shorter and wider than last we met."

"Wider, not shorter", the other dwarf retorted back, "And sharp enough for both of us." he added and winked at Dwalin.

They both chuckled before grabbing each other's shoulders. For a second Haley thought they were going to hug, but that's when they headbutted each other. _'Must be brotherly love between dwarves…'_ Haley wondered in slight shock.

That's when the older dwarf finally noticed Haley. He looked at her with mild surprise before giving her a kind smile.

"Oh, my apologies! I didn't notice we had a lady present", he said before bowing in front of her, "Balin, at your service." he introduced himself.

"Haley…at yours…?" Haley didn't know if this was the way to introduce herself to a dwarf, but no one seemed to notice her uncertainty.

"A pleasure, my lady", Balin said before taking Haley's hand and pressing a slight kiss on it, causing Haley's cheeks to redden, "You are his…daughter, perhaps?" he asked her, and looked at Bilbo.

"Oh, no, no" they both exclaimed in shock, "He's just letting me stay here for a while." Haley managed to explain.

The dwarves nodded and said nothing more of it.

Soon the two dwarves had found their way to Bilbo's pantry and were busily going through his food and drinks. They were both in deep conversation and didn't notice Bilbo, who was trying to talk to them. Haley wasn't listening either; she was far too amazed to listen. She didn't understand how she had ended up in a world that had dwarves, and hobbits and wizards. It seemed way too impossible!

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Bilbo raised up his hands slightly. "…I'm sorry." he finished his sentence which no one had been listening to.

Balin and Dwalin turned to look at him with questionable looks. They obviously had no idea what he was apologizing for.

"Apology accepted." Balin finally said with a smile.

Bilbo didn't look satisfied by his answer. Haley tried to say something, but before she could open her mouth; the doorbell rang once again. Haley watched Bilbo go answer the door before turning her attention back to the dwarves, who were still inspecting the pantry. Soon they moved to the dining room and started assembling the table and chairs. To Haley it looked like they were expecting for more unexpected visitors to come.

Haley heard some noise coming from the door and decided to go and see if Bilbo needed any help. She entered the hallway and saw Bilbo with two more dwarves. The other, a blond one, had just unloaded lots of knives into Bilbo's arms. The other one, a brunette, was sweeping his feet onto a chest.

"…No, it's been in the family for years", that's when he saw what the brunette one was doing to his chest, "That's my mother's glory box! Can you please not do that!" he told him.

The young dwarf with a stubble on his face looked around the house, and that's when his eyes fell on Haley. He just looked at her before he managed to come up with a "Hello…?"

"Hi…" Haley managed to stammer, suddenly feeling a bit shy for some reason.

"Kili, at your service, my lady," he bowed to her, "And this is my brother Fili." he referred to the blond dwarf, who had also now noticed Haley too.

"I…I'm Haley. Haley Walker." she introduced herself.

Kili was about to say something, but then Dwalin appeared in the hallway.

"Fili! Kili! C'mon, give us a hand!" he said as he pulled Kili to the dining room.

"Mister Dwalin." Kili laughed slyly before clapping Balin on the shoulder.

Haley watched as the dwarves started to make more room into the dining room. She had a feeling Fili and Kili weren't the last ones to turn up. And she proven right; the doorbell rang once again. This time poor Bilbo was about at his wits end.

"There's nobody home" he shouted as she dropped Fili's knives onto the floor, "Go away and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is!" he shouted angrily.

"If this is some clotthead's idea of a joke" he laughed sarcastically, "I can only it is in very poor taste!" he snarled slight as he opened the door.

To Bilbo and Haley's surprise, a whole bunch of (eight to be exact) dwarves fell onto his floor in a pile. They groaned as they tried to get up, but they were too tangled. Though Haley was pleasantly surprised when she noticed a familiar figure standing in the doorway.

"Gandalf." Bilbo said in a slightly accusive tone.

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><p>In a blink of an eye, the dwarves were moving all over Bilbo's house. They were preparing food, taking food from his pantry, setting tables and moving furnitures back and forth. Bilbo was desperately trying to bark orders, constantly shouting lines of "Don't touch that!" and "Put that back!". None of the dwarves didn't pay any attention to him, however. Haley was trying to stay out of their way, tip toeing and swirling from one spot to another. Thought it was very hard, because wherever she went; there was some dwarf carrying something heavy and needed space.<p>

At one point one of the elderly dwarves, who had introduced himself as Dori, gave Haley a long questionable glance.

"My dear girl, whatever happened to your clothes?" he asked her in a surprised tone.

"What…what's wrong with my clothes?" she asked him dumbfoundedly.

He just gave her a questionable look before he sniffed and went to offer Gandalf some tea.

Before Haley had any time to wonder what just had happened, she had to push herself against a wall when two dwarves rolled a barrel of ale from the cellar. Once they had moved past her, she gave a sigh of relief. But then, one of the dwarves accidentally bumped into her side when he passed her.

"Sorry, lass!" he shouted after her before continuing his way (_'He said his name was…Nori?' _Haley thought).

The bump caused Haley to misplace her footing, and her foot landed on the corner of the carpet. The sudden contact made her loose her balance, and she fell towards the floor with a yelp.

Just before she could hit the floor, however, a hand grabbed hers firmly. Then she felt herself being swung upwards and she landed on someone's chest. When she looked up, she saw a pair of warm brown eyes looking slightly worriedly at her. It was the young dwarf…Kili, Haley supposed his name had been. His face brightened when he saw she was alright.

"Careful there, my lady", he said with a rather cheeky smile, "We don't want you to hurt yourself, now do we?"

"Y-yeah, sure. Thanks." Haley muttered, totally embarrassed.

That's when she noticed that she was only few inches taller than him. She had always been a bit short and petite, but to think that their height difference was hardly even noticeable! Then she noticed that Kili's face was rather close to hers. She couldn't help but feel her cheeks burn up when she looked into his eyes. They reminded her of chocolate, and he had the wondering expression on his face that she bet she had too.

Whatever just happened there; was broken when Fili turned up. "C'mon Kili, supper is ready! Better go before Bombur eats everything!" he said before going to the table.

"Umm, yes, right! Coming!" Kili shouted after him before gently releasing his hold from Haley.

"Well then, my lady, will you be joining for the supper?" he asked her.

"It's… Haley, just call me Haley. And I'll come there soon." she answered him.

"Haley…" Kili repeated her name, as if trying it out. Then he gave her a slight smile before he turned and walked over to the table.

Haley sighed deeply, her heart beating like crazy. _'The heck was that about? Must be scare from the near-fall.'_ she told herself before she went to see Gandalf. Once she found him, she pulled him a bit farther away from the table.

"Gandalf, what's with all these dwarves? Were they the others you were talking about? What do they have to do with helping me?" she demanded him in a whisper. She was getting rather tired of being left forgotten when she had been promised to be helped to get home.

But Gandalf just smiled at her. "All in good time, dear Haley. Now, have something to eat and just enjoy yourself." he told her before returning to his seat around the table.

Haley couldn't believe she had been told off for the second time that day. Having no other choice, she sighed deeply before sitting on chair in the corner.

* * *

><p>The supper was rather… unique in Haley's opinion. The dwarves had rather wild table manners. They were laughing, gobbling down their food, shouting and even throwing food across the table. Fili even stood on the table, passing jugs of ale at others. Haley found out she had lost her appetite as she watched them eat like pigs. She stared in wonder when Dwalin poured ale into Oin's, who was a near-deaf elderly dwarf, hearing trumpet and everyone (Oin included) laughed about it.<p>

The dwarves raised their mugs. "Ale on count of three! One, two, three!" someone shouted and they started drinking.

Haley wrinkled up her nose when she saw how the ale dripped onto their beards. Then Nori, the one that had bumped into her earlier, burped loudly, causing all the dwarves to laugh. But then Ori, his younger brother, burped even louder and longer. All the dwarves cheered on him. Haley shook her head in disgust. _'Honestly; men!'_ she muttered inside her head.

The dwarves finished their supper soon enough, though they still kept drinking. Haley left the dining room, wanting some space for herself. She saw Bilbo talking to Gandalf in the hallways, looking very irritated. But they were interrupted by Ori, who came to ask Bilbo what he should with his plate.

"Here you go, Ori. Give it to me." said Fili who had appeared at the scene. Then he took the plate from Ori and threw it to Kili who was standing a small distance away. Haley saw the plate coming towards her, but she managed to duck just in time. Then Kili grabbed the plate and threw it to the kitchen where dwarf called Bifur was doing the dished. Then Fili threw another plate at him and another after another.

Poor Bilbo of course didn't like the way they were treating his dishes. "Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing pottery, it's over 100 years old!" he shouted.

But the dwarves just ignored Bilbo and kept throwing his plates and cups. That's when he noticed few dwarves clanging his forks and knives together.

"And can you not do that, you'll blunt them!" he shouted at them.

"Ooh, did you hear that, lads?" the dwarf named Bofur asked playfully, as if he had been expecting Bilbo to say that, "He says we'll blunt the knives!"

As if in cue, Kili started to sing:

_Blunt the knives, bent the forks!_

And Fili joined after him:

_Smash the bottles and burn the corks!_

The others started to sing too:

_Chip the glasses and crack the plates!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

_Cut the cloth,_

_tread on the fat_

_Leave the bones on the bedroom mat_

_Pour the milk on the pantry floor_

_Splash the wine on every door_

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl_

_Pound them up with a thumping pole_

_When you're finished, if they are whole_

_Send them down the hall to roll!_

While they sang, the dwarves gathered the dishes by throwing them at each other. Bilbo and Haley stared wide-eyed and open mouthed as the dishes practically flew through the air. But none of the dishes were broken despite their rough handling, but ended up safely in the kitchen.

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

All the dwarves broke up laughing after finishing their song, so amused by Bilbo and Haley's dumbfounded faces. Even Gandalf was smiling among them. Though Bilbo didn't feel too happy about being mocked in a song.

One of the dwarves, named Gloin, threw the last cup to Fili. But he used too much strength, and the cup flew past Fili. Haley, who was standing by, saw the cup falling close to her, so she reacted. With a yelp she dived towards the cup, and caught it just before it hit the floor. Though she ended up falling to the floor herself. Luckily she landed sideways on her bottom, so it didn't hurt.

"Got it!" she shouted and raised the hand holding the cup. She saw Bilbo sigh in relief.

"Nice catch!" Kili complimented her, though he was also laughing.

The others just laughed hard. They were obviously having fun on Haley and mostly on Bilbo's expense.

But then their laughter was broken when three stern knocks were heard from the door. Everyone went silent, and the air was filled with anticipation.

Gandalf grew rather serious, obviously knowing who was outside the door. He nodded his head before stating softly: "He's here."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it! Please, R&R!**


	5. Chapter 4: Dark Business

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm glad you've waited patiently for the next chapter. It took me while to write it, because this peculiar scene was rather challenging to write. There was so much dialogue and stuff, and I had to fit my OC somewhere in there. But here it is now, so please enjoy the fourth chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OC, nothing else!**

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><p>Chapter 4: Dark Business<p>

The door opened, and revealed another dwarf. He had long dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He also held himself in a rather regal pose.

"Gandalf" he addressed the wizard with a small smile, "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door." he said as he entered the hallways and removed his cloak. Haley noticed that the other dwarves bowed their heads in respect for him, meaning he had to be an important person for them.

"Mark? There's no mark on that door" Bilbo said in confusion, "It was painted a week ago."

"There is a mark. I put it there myself" Gandalf explained to him, "Bilbo and Haley, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield." he introduced the new dwarf to them.

Thorin turned to look at Bilbo. "So…" he said with a questionable look and crossed his arms across his chest, "…this is the hobbit." he didn't look too impressed by what he saw.

"Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" he asked Bilbo and circled around him like a vulture.

"Pardon me?" Bilbo didn't seem to comprehend what he had just been asked.

"Ax or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I do have some skills at conkers, if you must know", Bilbo explained, "But I fail to see why that's relevant."

"Thought as much", Thorin said as he turned to others, "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." he said to them before giving Bilbo a rather insulting smile.

The others dwarves laughed at his so-called-joke. Haley arched her eyebrows at this; she didn't find this Thorin-guy too nice. He didn't even know Bilbo, and yet he entered his house like he owned the place, and even insulted him right at his face. She was just about to defend Bilbo, but then Thorin turned to look at her. He looked at her in surprise, like he hadn't acknowledged her presence before, noticing her just now. He arched his eyebrows and gave her a rather unkind look. Haley couldn't help but feel rather defenseless under his gaze.

"And pray tell…", he turned to Gandalf in a demanding tone, "…what is _a human girl_ doing in here?"

Haley felt insulted by the way he emphasized "human girl". She wanted to defend herself, but she realized she wasn't even sure herself what she was doing there. Luckily, Gandalf came to back her up.

"This is Haley Walker", he introduced her to Thorin, "And there is a reason to her presence in here. If you would allow her to join the meeting, I promise that everything will be explained." he explained to Thorin.

'_I hope so too. I've been waiting for answers long enough._' Haley thought in a slightly bitter tone. Thorin gave Haley another cold pondering glance before turning to Gandalf.

"Very well" he nodded before he turned to the others dwarves.

Haley signed deeply in relief, relieved that the grumpy guy was off her back. At least she had been allowed to join the meeting, maybe know she would finally get some answers. But she couldn't help but feel she wasn't going to like where this was going.

* * *

><p>Soon everyone had gathered around the table, with Thorin sitting at the head, eating his soup. The rest of the dwarves were looking at him anxiously. Bilbo was pacing back and forth behind them, trying to listen without getting any attention. Haley sat on a chair in a corner, also trying to be as invisible as possible. She didn't want to get any extra attention to herself at the moment.<p>

When she glanced slightly around the table, she suddenly locked eyes with Kili. When she noticed him staring back at her, she quickly lowered her head, her cheeks burning a little bit. Wanting to get her head out of the clouds, she listened as the dwarves began to talk something that seemed important.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luid? Did they all come?" Balin asked Thorin.

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin answered him, causing the other dwarves to cheer in joy.

"And what did the dwarves of Iron Hills say?", Dwalin asked Thorin pointedly, "Is Dain with us?"

Thorin signed deeply before answering. "They will not come", he said disappointedly, "They say this quest is ours and ours alone." Thorins explained. The others murmured words of disappointment.

Haley found herself getting rather interested by this. She wondered what kind of quest the dwarves were planning? A treasure hunt, perhaps?

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked them, voicing her thoughts too.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light." Gandalf asked as he turned to him, obviously trying to distract him for a while.

"Far to the east", Gandalf began and pulled something from his sleeve, "…over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands…" he rambled as he placed a map in front of them, "…lies a single, solitary peak."

"The Lonely Mountain." Bilbo read as he glanced over the map.

"Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time." the red-headed dwarf named Gloin said, referring to his older brother.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold" Oin explained, "_When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end_."

Both Haley and Bilbo perked up their ears at the word "beast", their curiosity awaken.

"Umm, what beast?" Bilbo found the courage to ask.

"That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, the chiefest and greatest of all calamity of our age." Bofur answered him. Haley looked at him questionably, not understanding what kind of beast he was talking about.

"Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals." Bofur tried to define, realizing Haley and Bilbo didn't know what he was talking about.

A realization hit Haley. '_Wait, he's not talking about a…_'

"Yes, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo retorted him.

Haley's eyes widened like saucers. "Wait, _a dragon_?!" she exclaimed loudly in disbelief, causing everyone to look at her, "Are you seriously saying that there are dragons?!"

The dwarves gave her questionable looks. They wondered how come she didn't seem to believe that dragons were quite real.

"Yes, dear Haley, dragons are, unfortunately, natural habitants of Middle-Earth." Gandalf explained to her.

Haley gave a deep sigh. "This is just too much. Dragons aren't supposed to be real!" she muttered under her breath. Ignoring her, Ori stood up proudly.

"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it", he informed in a proud voice, "I'll give him a taste of dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!"

"Sit down!" his oldest brother Dori pulled him back to his seat.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just 13", Balin told everyone, "And not 13 the best, nor brightest." he ironically retorted them

Everyone shouted back at him, slightly insulted.

"We may be few in number", Fili shouted over the commotion, "But we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" he exclaimed proudly.

"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company" Kili backed up his brother, "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." he said, making everyone turn to the wizard.

"Oh, well, no. I wouldn't say…" Gandalf tried to explain, but the dwarves didn't give him a change.

"How many then?" Dori asked him. "Well, how any dragons have you killed?"

Gandalf became very silent, coughing awkwardly few times. Haley couldn't help but smile slyly at this, the wizard was so busted now.

"Go on, give us a number! Dori demanded once more.

Suddenly all the dwarves, minus Thorin, were shouting at each other. They were standing up on their seats and shouting insults and threats at each other. Thorin looked at them for a moment before standing up. He shouted something in a language Haley didn't understand, causing everyone to sit back on their seats quietly.

"If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too?" he pointed out to them, "Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug, has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighting the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this change to take back Erebor?" he asked proudly after his motivational speech.

All the dwarves cheered loudly, agreeing with him. Even Haley had to admit that Thorin knew how to motivate people. But Balin shook his head.

"You forget, the Front Gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain." he said in sad tone.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf said reassuringly as he pulled out a key from his sleeve.

Thorin looked at it in amazement. "How came you by this?" he asked in wonder.

"It was given to me by your father. By Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf answered before giving the key to Thorin.

Everyone looked at the key in amazement. Even though Haley didn't fully understand what the big deal was, she knew it was very important to the dwarves.

"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fili stated after a while.

Gandalf nodded at him. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the Lower Halls." he explained as he pointed to the map.

"There's another way in." Kili beamed happily.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf door are invisible when closed" Gandalf signed, "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage. But if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done. " he said reassuringly.

"That's why we need a burglar!" Ori piped in.

"And a good one too. And expert, I'd imagine." Bilbo couldn't help but say.

"And are you?" Gloin asked him pointedly.

Bilbo realized that everyone was looking at him. "Am I what?" he asked in confusion.

"He said he's an expert. Hey!" Oin exclaimed in joy.

Bilbo was taken back, as was Haley. They wanted Bilbo to join their quest too?

"Me? No, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!" Bilbo exclaimed in shock.

"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Balin commented, making Bilbo nod in agreement.

"Aye, the Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin agreed with his brother.

The dwarves started to argue again, some defending Bilbo, and some against him. Bilbo himself looked rather distraught.

"Enough!" Gandalf had grown tired of the dwarves' arguments, and stood up. He seemed bigger and frightening, and shadows surrounded him. Everyone looked at him, frightened by his appearance. Even Haley hold tighter onto her chair, nearly scared out of her skull.

"If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!" he said in a booming voice. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And, while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf, the scent of Hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage."

"You asked me to find the 14th member of the company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know. Including himself." Gandalf looked at others, suddenly very serious. He knew he had come to hardest part of the meeting.

"And there's still another matter to discuss", he said, "Concerning the number of our company."

Everyone looked at him questionably, not understanding what he was saying. Gandalf gave a deep sigh before continuing.

"About a week ago, I had several visions. Signs, if you will. They all informed me that there would be one more member to the company." he told them.

"You mean that there will be a fifteenth member?" Balin asked him, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Yes, there is one more person who must join us." Gandalf nodded in confirmation.

"And who would that be?" Thorin asked in slight amazement. The rest of the dwarves agreed with him, wondering who else would join them. Haley, who had been listening quietly, was also interest to hear.

"That…" Gandalf began as he turned his eyes to Haley, "…would be miss Walker."

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><p><strong>AN: I wasn't originally planning to end teh chapter here, but then I realized that there still so much information coming up, and the chapter would be too long. So, I think it was best to leave it here, at an exciting scene. In the next chapter, Haley and the dwaves will finally have some answeres, but will they like them? Find out in the next chapter! Until then, R&R, reviews would make me VERY happy.**


	6. Chapter 5: Haley's Decision

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the long delay, but I had a couples of exams at school, so I had to focus on studying for a while. And this chapter was really challenging to write, I had to spend so much time on some details. But I finally managed to write it, and it turned out to be longest chapter so far, so I hope it makes up for the long wait.**

**Also, as some of you probably noticed, I've changed the title of this story. I didn't really the original one, and I finally came up with a new one. So I hope you'll like the new title too. Hope you weren't too confused by it. **

**WARNING: This chapter has some very confusing and illogical material at the beginning, but I hope you can see past it. And I hope you don't take that part too seriously, because whatever is written in there will be relevant only at the end of of this story. So, please try to bear with me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit, I only own my OC, etc. etc etc...**

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><p>Chapter 5: Haley's Decision<p>

Haley felt everyone's eyes fixed on her. The dwarves and Bilbo were staring at her with questionable and amazed looks. It took Haley a moment to realize what Gandalf had just said.

"Me-me?" she squeaked in shock and pointed a finger at herself.

It took a few seconds until the dwarves reacted. Most of them started to shout in protest, obviously not quite happy with this new revelation.

"You gotta be joking!" Dwalin shouted.

"She's just a wee lass! Even younger than my lad Gimli!" Gloin bellowed.

"This is unacceptable!" Dori protested.

Haley herself just stood still, pale as a sheet, staring blankly into nothing. She was far too shocked to say or do anything. She couldn't believe Gandalf had just revealed that he wanted her to join a dangerous quest to reclaim a dwarvish kingdom from a dragon!

Thorin too had stood silently until he lifted his hand to silent the other dwarves. They all became quiet, waiting what their leader was about to say.

"Gandalf" Thorin began with a dangerously calm voice, "You can't seriously suggest that we allow a young girl to join our company. It is far too dangerous, and we can't guarantee her safety. Not to mention, this quest is no place for a young girl who has nothing to do with it." he said pointedly before giving Haley a slight cold look.

That got Haley's attention. She didn't like the way Thorin spoke about her, since he didn't know about anything she had been through. Not to mention she didn't like to belittled just because she was a girl. She looked up at him, giving him a glare.

"Excuse me" she snapped at him, "But I didn't ask for any of this! I was just having a normal day at home, then I suddenly find myself in this weird place surrounded by some short people and then I'm told I'm supposed to join some suicide-mission to reclaim some unknown kingdom from _a freaking dragon_!

When she finished her rant, all the dwarves and Bilbo were looking at her strangely, like she had just grown a second head. They had no idea what she was talking about, thinking she had to be a little crazy. Thorin was just about retort back to her, but Gandalf cut him off.

"You have a point there, dear Haley" he began, "I promised you answers, and I believe everyone else deserves some explanations too." he said before turning to others.

"You see, miss Haley here is not from Middle-Earth" he took a break and watched as the dwarves and Bilbo looked at him utterly confused, "She comes from another world beyond the borders of Middle-Earth, a planet called Earth."

"How is that possible?" Thorin breathed in amazement, the rest of the dwarves nodding in agreement.

"If you just allow me, I'll start from the beginning." Gandalf said calmly before taking a smoke from his pipe. He blew out some smoke before he began to explain.

"Not many of you know this, but Middle-Earth isn't the only world that exists. There's another world called Earth. These two worlds are similar is some ways, and yet very different from another. There isn't any magic in Earth, and the only living creatures there are humans and animals. Earth has its own customs and manners, and its people live quite different lives."

Bilbo and the dwarves looked at him in amazement. They could hardly believe what they were hearing, and yet Gandalf didn't seem to be jesting with them. He seemed to be very serious. Could there really believe another world? And if there was, how had this girl from Earth found her way to theirs?

"I still don't understand what this all has to do with me." Haley said in confusion, still not understanding why she had ended up in Middle-Earth.

"I was just about to get there", Gandalf answered, "Now, Haley, do you possess anything that might seem extraordinary? Something that doesn't seem to be from your world?" he asked her.

Haley thought for a moment. Did she have something extraordinary with her? Then it hit her, and she pulled out her pendant.

"Well, I found this at my grandma's attics few weeks ago. I don't know where it's from, or what these strange markings mean." she told Gandalf.

"May I see it?" Gandalf asked her. Haley handed him the pendant, and he inspected for a moment.

"Just as I expected", he said with a smile, "this is the pendant of the Valar." he revealed. He noticed Haley's dumbfounded expression and continued his tale.

"Many centuries ago, when Middle-Earth was just young, the Valar, our gods, came to know of the existence of Earth. They became curious and wanted to learn about this new world. But they could not leave Middle-Earth, so they selected few chosen Maiar to carry out the mission. They created three special jewels out of starlight, and fashioned them into pendants. They were given to the Maiar as a key to travel between two worlds. With these pendants, the Maiar travelled across Earth and once in while returned to tell the Valar what they had learned of this new world.

"Eventually, the Valar decided that Earth should be left alone, and ordered the Maiar to return. They ordered the pendants to be destroyed, for they feared that they could be used for wrong purposes. But only two pendants were given back, the third one having disappeared. During the centuries, the Valar kept the existence of Earth a secret, because they feared evil would find out about it. No one knows what happened to the third pendant, until now." Gandalf said as he lifted the pendant for everyone to see.

"These markings are the proof" he explained, "here it is written in ancient Quenderin, and can be translated as: "_To travel across the veil, one must leave a piece of soul behind_." This means that Miss Haley was brought here by this pendant."

"But…but how did it end up in an attic at my house? It's been in my family for decades, how is that possible?" Haley still didn't understand how she had come by a magical pendant from another world.

"I'm not sure, but this means you were meant to have it. It is yours now. Keep careful watch over it." Gandalf answered as he gave the pendant back Haley.

"This proofs that miss Haley was meant to join in the company. The pendant brought her here for a reason, and that reason is linked with the quest. Though I don't know what it is, but she will play an important role for the success of the quest." he informed the others.

"You must trust me on this." he said to Thorin, knowing everything would depend on his decision.

Thorin was quiet for a moment, looking rather serious after all he had been told.

"Very well", he said finally, "We will do it your way." he told Gandalf.

"Give them the contract." he turned to Balin, who pulled out some papers.

"It's the usual. Summary of out-of-pocked expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth." he explained. Thorin took the papers from Balin and slammed them rather roughly into Bilbo's hands.

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo repeated fearfully. He sighed as he began to read the contents of the contract.

Haley watched Bilbo as he read aloud, hearing some words as "lacerations", "evisceration" and…

"Incineration?" Bilbo asked in disbelief.

"Aye. He'll melt the bones off your body in a blink of an eye." Bofur told him, causing Bilbo to whimper loudly.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked him in concern.

"Huh? Yeah", Bilbo said as she leaned his hands on his knees, "Feel a bit faint."

"Think furnace, with wings." Bofur attempted to help him.

"Air. I need air." Bilbo stammered.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof. You're nothing more than a pile of ash." Bofur continued his gruesome attempt to make Bilbo feel better.

'_Yeah, an accurate description of being killed a dragon is really gonna make him feel better._' Haley thought sarcastically.

Bilbo stood for a moment, and he seemed to get a hang on himself.

"Nope." he said before he fainted and crashed onto the door.

"Oh, very helpful, Bofur." Gandalf said sarcastically to the dwarf.

Haley wasn't feeling any better herself. This all seemed far too unrealistic for her. She stood up from her chair.

"I can't deal with this right now", she sighed as she rubbed her temples, "I need to be alone." she said before leaving to find some spot where she could be left alone for a while.

* * *

><p>Haley took deep breaths as she leaned against a wall in the hallway. She had been by herself for about ten minutes, and she still felt rather distraught. This was just too much for her. She couldn't just run off to an adventure in an unknown world that could possibly lead her to her death. Most of the dwarves, Thorin especially, didn't even seem to want her to join. Not to mention her aunt and uncle would be worried sick about her. All the reason told her she should even consider it.<p>

But then again, Haley couldn't deny the tiny feeling of excitement burning within her like a small flame. She had always loved fantasy books and tales, and she had dreamed of having some grand adventure of her own. This could be her only change to experience one. Gandalf had also said she would have a role in this quest, and Haley was curious to find out what it would be. And, if the pendant had brought her to Middle-Earth, it could bring her back to Earth once the quest was over, right?

Haley was interrupted from her thoughts when she felt someone's presence. She turned her head and saw Kili standing next to her.

"Hey", he sounded a little bit worried, "Are you alright?"

Haley nodded her head slightly. "Yeah, no problem." she snorted a little bit.

"So…", he said a bit awkwardly, "Have you reached a decision? Are you coming with us?" he asked her.

She sighed deeply. "I seriously don't know. This is all so sudden, I don't know what to think. I admit I'm a bit tempted to have an adventure, but it sounds so unbelievable. And I don't think I could handle it out there, I'm not exactly adventurer-material. "

Kili watcher her and listened to her as Haley spoke. When she finished, he was quiet for a moment.

"Well, I know it sounds dangerous and everything, but once you'll get out there, you might find yourself quite the adventurer" he said after a while, "And you wouldn't be alone, my brother and I would help you and keep you safe. The others too; they may seem gruff now, but they'll warm up to you."

"And…" he had a moment of silence, "I think it would be nice to have you along." he said genuinely.

Haley looked at him in amazement. She was taken aback by his genuinely welcoming attitude. She couldn't help but feel glad for being wanted. If at least one dwarf wanted her to join, maybe it could work out.

"Well, I'll think about it" she said and looked away. For some reason, she had to turn away, because his brown looked at her in a way that made her feel…strange. "But thanks, for accepting me."

Kili nodded at her before turning away, leaving Haley with her thoughts once again. Haley didn't think she had much choice here. But then again, maybe this was what destiny had in store for her?

Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, her mind was made. She went to find Gandalf and the others, so she could announce her decision.

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><p>Haley found them all in the dining room, all talking in deep conversation. Haley noticed Gandalf looking rather disappointed. He had obviously failed to convince Bilbo, who was not present at the moment, to join the quest. When he noticed Haley, he seemed to regain his hopes of her joining.<p>

"Aah, Haley" he exclaimed as she steeped in, "Have you come to a decision?" he asked her, getting straight to the point. Everyone turned to look at Haley, making her feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"Yes, I have. And…", Haley took a deep breath before she could continue, "…I have decided to join the quest."

All the dwarves started to whisper to each other groups, but at least none started to protest her choice. It was Balin who was first to speak.

"Well", he began as he stood up from his seat, "Due to these unexpected events, we don't have a contract for you, but I'm sure we can agree on the same terms we offered for Master Baggins. On the behalf of the company; I welcome you, Miss Haley, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." he said, giving Haley a warm smile.

While none of the dwarves said anything, Haley could see some of them looking at her in skeptical ways. Especially Thorin, whose I'll-keep-my-eyes-on-you-gaze gave Haley the goosebumps. But then her eyes locked with Kili's. He was smiling at her, making her feel a bit more welcome.

Gandalf himself was relieved, and felt quite happy about how things had folded out with Haley.

"Excellent" he said with a smile, "Now that you have joined us, maybe you could try to convince Bilbo to join as well. He needs a little heart-to-heart talk, and I think you could the just the person to do it." he said, his smile turning into a sly one in Haley's opinion.

"Well, I can try", Haley shrugged her shoulders, "But I don't blame him for not wanting to come." she said before turning to find Bilbo.

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><p>She found Bilbo sitting in the hallway, trying to hide himself from everyone else. The poor fellow looked so out of sorts it made Haley feel sorry for him. Like her, he hadn't asked for any of this. But if Gandalf was to believe, he too was needed on this quest.<p>

"Bilbo?" she called him, causing him to jump up a little bit. "Bilbo, are you okay?" she asked as she got next to him.

"Ye-yes, I'm quite alright" he stammered, "Just a little bit tired." he gave a nervous laugh before gazing into the wall, clearly deep in thought.

"This was all just so… unexpected." he said after a small silence between them.

"Tell me about it" Haley huffed deeply, "When I woke up this morning, I seriously didn't expect that my day would end up like this."

They both grew quiet for a moment. They sat in utter silence, both staring either at the wall or their feet. After a while, Haley cleared her throat, breaking the silence between them.

"I've decided to join them, Bilbo." she confessed.

Bilbo looked at her with utterly surprised expression. Then he started to shake his head and gave a moan.

"Oh Haley! Why?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"'Cause I don't really have a choice", Haley sighed, "Joining this quest might be my only change to find a way back home. If this pendant really brought me here, it might take me back once the quest is over. And Gandalf said that I would have role in the quest, and I believe him." Then Haley couldn't help but smile a little bit.

"Besides, doesn't it sound rather exciting?" she asked him, "I mean; how often do you get a change to go on an adventure like that? Imagine what we could see; what we could experience! I've read about so many exciting tales of adventures, and now I get to have my own." Haley stood up and placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder.

"That's why I'm going", she gave him an encouraging smile, "And I would be glad to have a friend with me."

Bilbo was quiet for a moment, and just looked at her. Then he gave her a sad smile.

"I'm sorry Haley, but I can't", he said sadly, "I can't just go running off into the blue. I'm a Baggins of Bag End, and my place is here. I'm just not meant for adventures. "

Haley wasn't sure who Bilbo to trying to convince; her or himself. Never the less, she smiled kindly at him.

"I understand", she said gently, "And I don't blame you. It's your decision, and it would be unfair to force you into something you don't want to do." she said before turning to leave.

Before leaving, she turned to him once more. "I'm just sad we have to say goodbyes so soon." she said before leaving. Bilbo looked at her as she left.

"So am I, Haley" he smiled sadly before he started to stare at the wall again, "So am I."

* * *

><p>When Haley returned, she found that the dwarves had gathered in the living room. Some of them were sitting on chairs, and some had gathered around the fireplace. Gandalf was sitting in the corner, smoking his pipe. Most of the dwarves had also lightened up their pipes. The smell of burning wood and pipe weed filled the room. Haley noticed that the dwarves looked very serious and rather melancholy. She didn't feel like intruding, so she decided to stay in the doorway.<p>

The dwarves didn't seem to notice her presence, they were all very deep in thought. Then Haley realized that they were all humming. The tuned they hummed sounded rather sad. Then. Thorin started to sing a melancholy song:

_Far over the Misty Mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns old_

_We must away ere break of day_

_To find our long-forgotten gold_

Haley couldn't help but feel a sting in her heart. Something about the song made her heart ache. By the time others had joined in the song, her eyes were glimmering with tears.

_The pines were roaring on the height_

_The winds were moaning in the night_

_The fire was red, it flaming spread_

_The trees like torches blazed with light_

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><p><strong>AN: There you had it! I hope everyone enjoyed it! Let me know know how feel about the story so far! And remember: reviews help me to update faster. Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 6: The Journey Begins

**A/N: *cries uncontrollably in the corner* *notices readers staring at her* Oh, hello everyone! *sniff* You're probably wondering why I'm crying. Well, I'll tell you. Last night; I went to see _The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies_ at movie theather. Yes, you read right; the Hobbit 3 premiered here in Finland already on December 10th, two days before the worldwide cool is that?**

**Anyway, the movie left me feeling sad, upset and rather disappointed. It wasn't so great compared to the two previous movies. Not to mention, the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili left me with a broken heart. But enough spoilers for now. Jus go see the movie, and remember to bring tissues with you.**

**Now if you'd excume me, I gotta go back to cry again. *sobs***

**Disclaimer: I don't the Hobbit, only my OC, and blaah blaah blaah...**

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><p>Chapter 6: The Journey Begins<p>

Haley had the weirdest dream ever. She had ended up in some another world called Middle-Earth, where she had met a wizard, a hobbit and a bunch of dwarves. And then she had signed up for a quest to reclaim a dwarvish kingdom from a dragon. Thank goodness it was just a dream.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Haley? Are you awake?"

Except that it wasn't a dream. It was all very true.

Haley opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't at her home. She was at Bag End, currently residing in Bilbo's guest room. And she had just been woken up by someone knocking on her door.

"Coming!" she shouted to whoever was at the door. She pushed the blanket away and lifted her legs onto the floor.

As Haley started to rise from the bed, she didn't notice her other foot was standing on the blanket. When she moved, the slippery contact gave her an extra push forwards. Haley yelped loudly as she practically skipped across the room. But luckily she managed to get to the door without falling down. Haley sighed in relief before opening the door.

The door revealed Kili standing behind it. And to Haley's surprise, his eyes widened when he saw her. He also blushed a little bit, and tried desperately not to look at her.

"Morning Kili. Is everything okay?" she asked, wondering why he was acting this way.

"Go-good morning. It-it's just…that I didn't expect… that you weren't decent yet." he stammered, obviously uncomfortable by the situation.

Haley arched her brow in confusion. Then she took a look at herself, and realized that she wasn't fully dressed yet. Since she didn't have any extra clothes with her, Bilbo had been kind enough to lend her his late mother's nightdress. Even though it had been pretty close to Haley's size, it was rather loose around the middle so Haley had had to wrap a sash around her to make it fit better. Not to mention it was very short for Haley's figure, leaving most of her legs bare.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that", she blushed as she ducked behind the door, leaving only her head visible for Kili, "So, did you have something to say?" she asked him once he was able to look at her again.

"I just came to say that Thorin wants us to leave within an hour. You should have enough time to dress up and have some breakfast before we leave." he said before making his way back to the other dwarves.

"Okay, thanks." Haley waved his hand before closing the door so she could dress up.

* * *

><p>As promised, after an hour the company was standing outside Bag End, ready to leave. They were still packing up their supplies on the ponies. Haley had been given a backpack of her own, filled with some supplies such as waterskin, bowl and a sleeping mat.<p>

Haley had been given her own pony too, which made her a little bit nervous since she had never ridden a horse in her life. But luckily her pony, which she had named Chestnut, was a kind and patient one. Once she managed to get on her pony, the company was ready to move.

But Haley couldn't help but feel sad about the thought of leaving Bilbo. He had become a friend of hers, and she had wished that he'd change his mind after all. And since he had still been sleeping, she didn't even get to say goodbye to him.

"But what about Bilbo?" she couldn't help but ask, "Should we wait for him after all?"

"We don't have the time to wait for the Hobbit" Thorin answered bluntly, "We have to move now while we still have the sun on our side. Move out!" he ordered and made his pony move. The rest of the dwarves followed after him in a neat line.

Haley took a last glance at Bag End's door, as if hoping Bilbo would appear. When he didn't, she turned her head away in sadness and signed her pony to move.

"Don't worry, dear Haley" Gandalf said as his horse suddenly appeared next to hers, "I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Mister Baggins." he said encouragingly before moving along.

Haley arched her brow at his optimistic tone of voice, but decided to ignore it. After all, you could never be sure with wizards.

They had been travelling for a while, and Haley had been listening to the dwarves talking about Bilbo. To her dismay, they started making bets whether he would turn up or not. Most of them betted against him, but to Haley's satisfaction at least few of them betted for him showing up. She also wanted to bet for him showing up, but since she didn't have any money, she decided not to bother. But she still decided to have faith on Bilbo.

And Haley wasn't disappointed. They hadn't been riding for too long, until they heard a familiar voice shouting after them. It was Bilbo. He was running after them, almost out of breath, and holding the contract in his hand. Everyone halted their ponies, stopping on their tracks. Haley's eyes widened in joy, and a smile appeared on her face. He had come! She knew he would join them after all.

"I've signed it!" Bilbo said happily before giving the contract to Balin, who gave him a surprised glance before inspecting the contract with his glasses.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield. " he said before giving Bilbo a smile.

All the dwarves chuckled and chattered to themselves. They were obviously rather impressed by Bilbo's sudden change of mind. But Thorin was the only not smiling or chuckling. He obviously wasn't still impressed by the Hobbit.

"Give him a pony." he said simply before signing his pony to move once more. Everyone else followed after him.

Bilbo wasn't so fond of the idea, but Fili and Kili lifted him onto his pony despite his protests. Now they were all present and ready to go. Though Bilbo had attempted to make to turn around so he could retrieve his handkerchief, but the dwarves just laughed and shook their heads at him. Even Haley had to chuckle a little bit at that, Bilbo could be so amusing sometimes.

"Oh, Bilbo" she chuckled fondly as she rode next to him, "I'm so glad that you came! It will be much more fun to have a friend with you."

Bilbo smiled back at her, but his smile faded soon enough when he had to steady himself on his pony. This was going to be one long adventure.

* * *

><p>They had been riding for almost the whole day, stopping only for very briefs breaks. Haley had spent most of her time riding next to Kili and Fili, talking to them while they rode. She was glad to learn that Fili had accepted her as quickly as his brother, and she found herself enjoying their company. They told her all kinds of stories about themselves and their lives in the Blue Mountains, and about dwarves in general. Haley was truly fascinated by all of it, asking everything that came to her mind. She also told them about herself and about her life on Earth, even though some things, such as cars, turned out to be difficult to explain. But all in all, she had great time with them.<p>

She had even managed to befriend some of the other dwarves too. Bofur and Balin seemed to like her from the very first moment, and joined their conversations every once in a while. And Ori, the youngest of the Ri brothers, was also interested to hear about Earth, asking many questions about it. And even if some of the other dwarves were still rather wary of her, at least they were much more civil with her now.

It was already getting dark when Thorin finally ordered them to halt and make a camp. Haley signed in relief, her bottom and tights were very sore after riding all day. But then she had to grind her teeth, for getting down from the pony was still rather challenging for her. She huffed as she attempted to climb down from Chestnut, but failing miserably. Then she heard some chuckling from behind her.

"Here, let me help you." she heard Kili say before she felt his hands on her hips and then being lifted from her pony. For the second time, Haley found herself in his arms. She blushed when she saw his eyes looking at her.

"Thanks." she managed to mutter.

"You're welcome. Now come on, let's help to set up the camp." he said kindly before turning to help the others.

Haley tried to help the best she could, but having no real experience with camping made it rather challenging. Not to mention she managed to trip over almost every root on the ground, and got some small cuts when she tried to use a knife. But eventually they managed to set up the camp, and cook some supper. Haley sat with Bilbo, Kili and Fili, talking to them while they ate. She had great time talking with them, and sometimes even laughing at their jokes.

* * *

><p>The night came soon enough, and Thorin ordered everyone to take turns in watches. Lucky for Haley, she got to have her watch with Fili and Kili since she wasn't used to having watches. While the others were sleeping, they sat around the fire. Everything seemed peaceful for a while, the only noises to be heard was the fire crackling and some of the dwarves snoring.<p>

However, the silence was broken when a screeching sound was heard in the distance. Haley and the boys jumped when they heard it. Haley could feel how her heart jumped into her throat. Bilbo, who had woken up few seconds ago, also heard the noise.

"What was that?" he asked, obviously frightened.

"Orcs." Kili answered him.

That one got Haley's attention. She had read about orcs in her books, and she knew they were creatures to be feared.

"Orcs?" Bilbo asked in fear and got closer to them.

"Throat-cutters", Fili added, "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lone-lands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." Kili said dramatically.

Both Haley and Bilbo grew pale at this. They hadn't expected such dangers at all.

"I thought the dragon was supposed to be the biggest problem on this journey! No one told me there would be Orcs!" Haley shrieked in shock.

The she saw how Fili and Kili were smiling and chuckling at each other. She realized that they had just been joking! She was just about to give them a piece of her mind, but Thorin beat her to it.

"You think that's funny?" he said strictly, "You think a night-raid by Orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said apologetically.

"No, you didn't" Thorin said harshly before walking away, "You know nothing of the world.

Both Kili and Fili looked ashamed and genuinely apologetic. Haley knew they didn't mean any harm by their joke, but they still had it coming to them. Balin appeared next to them, and leaned against the rock face.

"Don't mind him, laddie" he said gently, "Thorin has more cause than others to hate Orcs."

The brothers looked a little bit confused by this. Even Haley was curious to know what the old dwarf was talking about.

"Why?" she asked, "What happened?"

And Balin told them how King Thror, Thorin's grandfather, had tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria after Smaug the dragon had taken Erebor. But Orcs had been there first, and a great battle had followed. During the battle, King Thror had been beheaded by Azong the Defiler, the most vile of the race of Orcs. After his grandfather had been killed, Thorin had faced the Pale Orc, and defeated him with the help of an oaken branch as a shield. The dwarves had won the battle, but at a heavy price, most of them slain in the battle.

Haley and Bilbo listened to Balin's tale with great fascination. Haley was taken when she saw how greatly Balin spoke of Thorin in the battle.

"And I thought to myself; there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call king."

Everyone had gathered to look at Thorin with respect. Even Haley had found respect for the dwarf king from her heart. Despite his gruff and coarse appearance, he was a great leader after all.

"And the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked suddenly, "What happened to him?"

"He slunk back to the hole whence he came" Thorin said in disdain, "That filth died of his wounds long ago." he said before leaving back to his sleeping mat.

Haley noticed how Gandalf and Balin exchanged looks of uncertainty. She also noticed how Gandalf gave a deep sigh. She couldn't help but feel unease at this. Balin noticed her looking at them with worry, and gave her an encouraging smile.

"There, there lassie" he said gently as he patted her on the back, "Get some sleep now. We have a long day ahead tomorrow. Gloin will take the next watch." he said before retiring to his sleeping mat himself.

Haley followed his advice and lied down on her sleeping mat and closed her eyes. But she couldn't fall asleep yet, there were so many thoughts in her head. She had realized just how dangerous this quest could be. Even though Kili had said they would protect her, she still couldn't help but worry. With these thoughts running in her head, she fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: *sniff* Hope you liked the sixth chapter. I admit this wasn't one of my best ones, but now the characters are on the road, things will get interesting soon. I'll try to update as soon as possible. In the mean time; R&R! *burst into tears again***


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